Leiria Economia space opened in the Municipal Market building

The Mayor of Leiria Gonçalo Lopes, the Councilor for the Economy Catarina Louro, and the Secretary of State for the Economy João Neves.

We want the Leiria Economia project to assert itself more and more as an economic engine for the municipality”, said the Mayor of the Municipal Council, regarding a space that will now host the Divisions of Economy, Commerce and Economic Activities and Tourism and Major Events of the Municipality of Leiria, the Professional Insertion Office, an administrative area of ​​CUF, Espaço Empresa, Startup Leiria and, soon, the Brightstart Program that Deloitte is developing with the Polytechnic of Leiria.

“It is essential, in this particularly challenging economic climate, to support entrepreneurship in a more critical phase of projects, especially among young people, and this space fits precisely that objective”, said the Mayor, noting a set of projects that the Municipality is developing to increase the attractiveness of the municipality, namely the Leiria Innovation Hub, to attract technology-based companies to the northern top of Leiria Stadium, the Monte Redondo Business Park, a co-work space in the former EDP building, the Logistic Hub, and also the commitment to the creation of a cluster linked to renewable energies in Leiria, with strong involvement of the private sector, in the areas of hydrogen and the use of agricultural effluents as raw material for production of biomethane.

The Mayor also mentioned that the project has the potential to “build bridges between agents that promote the development of the territory, be they managers of public resources, leaders of business associations, examples of which are Acilis, Nerlei, Startup , Instituto Politécnico” and the “very enterprising business class that has taken a decisive role in raising the competitive level and affirming Leiria as one of the most dynamic regions in the country”.

At the ceremony, the Secretary of State for the Economy, João Neves, highlighted the work that the Municipality of Leiria has been developing in the economic area, in particular in creating conditions for investment and business and the structural dynamics of transformation of the economy to constitute a hallmark distinctive of what happens in the municipality.

“Mixing the different valences that make up the economic activity of a municipality” and establishing networks, “based on a balanced and sustained strategy capable of building a solution” has allowed Leiria to “continue to be on the map of the most entrepreneurial regions in the country”.

Speaking also of the importance of the role of the Politéctico de Leiria, “The articulation between knowledge and the ability to undertake is decisive for our country, in the most challenging times, to continue on the path of economic growth”.

The inauguration was also marked with a tribute to João Vasconcelos, a man from Leiria who was a great driver of the bet on youth entrepreneurship in the country.